Travel Law Experts Urge Investigation Into Egyptian Holiday Illness

Lawyers from Irwin Mitchell’s travel law team have urged tour operators to carry out an investigation after receiving a number of enquiries from holidaymakers taken ill at the Resta Grand Resort in Egypt.

The firm has been contacted by more than 10 holidaymakers who stayed at the five-star resort in the Marsa Alam area. Lawyers have expressed serious concerns about health and hygiene at the hotel.

Veronica and William White from Merseyside booked their holiday through Thomson with the intention of celebrating Christmas, William’s 65th birthday and the news that he was in remission from cancer. The couple were both struck down with gastric illness while at the hotel.

Mrs White began to suffer sickness, diarrhoea and lethargy after just three days at the Resta Grand Resort. Her illness was so severe that she was still ill when the couple returned home. Mr White also suffered the same symptoms and the couple were both treated at their local medical centre.

Mrs White said: “The hotel was inhospitable and was a disgrace in so many areas. We saw fish, chicken and beef being served partially raw and cut with the same knife, and raw meat being prepared right next to cooked meat.

“There were simple and basic oversights. The kitchen staff were not wearing gloves, and whenever they dropped utensils they just picked them up and carried on – they didn’t even wash them.

“There was sewage seeping out from the toilets in the foyer, and the entire premises were unsafe – we saw electrical wires hanging out of the pool, exposed building works, and a glass ceiling collapse.

“It was the complete holiday from hell. We booked this holiday to create some good memories after the bad times we had been through, but it just turned into a nightmare. There are very few memories left that we could say are happy or fun.”

The resort has achieved Thomson’s coveted five-star Platinum rating but reviews on the travel review site TripAdvisor are mixed, with one comment branding the hotel a “Thomson 5 star Plutonium Resort”.

Lloyd Williams, a solicitor in Irwin Mitchell’s travel law team, said: “It is imperative that Thomson thoroughly investigate the experiences of our clients at this hotel. We’ve received calls from numerous people who have stayed at the resort complaining of the same basic health and safety problems.

“All too often we see the terms ‘luxury’, ‘platinum’, and ‘five-star’ bandied around, when in fact the hotel does not meet the most basic safety standards expected at even the most budget of accommodation.

“The fact that the Whites were not only attempting to enjoy Christmas and the New Year period abroad, but were also celebrating both a landmark birthday and news that Mr White was in remission from cancer makes this case all-the-more awful, and we urge Thomson to work with us quickly and amicably to resolve the matter on our clients’ behalf.

“Tour operators have a responsibility to make sure basic hygiene and safety standards are met at all of their hotels, and if they cannot guarantee holidaymakers’ safety they should not be sending guests there.”